Ensure the full integration of biodiversity and its multiple values into policies, regulations, planning and development processes, poverty eradication strategies, strategic environmental assessments, environmental impact assessments and, as appropriate, national accounting, within and across all levels of government and across all sectors, in particular those with significant impacts on biodiversity, progressively aligning all relevant public and private activities, and fiscal and financial flows with the goals and targets of this framework.
Introduction
To achieve the objectives of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the Nordic countries, along with the world, face a fundamental transformation. We need to halt biodiversity loss, increase natural areas, reduce the footprint of production and consumption, redirect or eliminate biodiversity-harming financial flows, and simultaneously achieve our climate goals. This is an enormous task. To accomplish this, all relevant sectors must base their priorities on the need for this transition.
Although there are many examples of environmental requirements being incorporated into legislation and regulations, the current situation is that environmental considerations often lose out when faced with other priorities. Most ministries today work in silos for their own sector interests without incorporating environmental considerations and measures to the extent needed.
The state administration must work together to improve the state of nature and provide solutions on how the government's other activities can be conducted in accordance with environmental considerations. To succeed in this, all governments must ensure that all relevant ministries are involved both in finding common solutions and in committing the entire government to follow the measures described. Mainstreaming biodiversity within and across all levels of society, governments, policies and legal framework is imperative.
We need a robust and unwavering environmental policy that can withstand challenges ranging from energy crises, social challenges, geopolitical shifts and economic crises. It is suggested that states may wish to set stricter regulations for business, including the financial sector, to ensure equality and that actions are in accordance with international agreements.
Policy Proposals for National Implementation
Develop national legislation requiring nationwide nature mapping.
Develop national legislation regulating climate and ecosystem accounting.
Regulate the relationship between developers and conductors of impact assessments. To ensure that competent, unbiased authorities order and set requirements for those conducting impact assessments, conducted at the developer's expense.
Ensure coordination so that all sectors operate within the planning system to achieve holistic land management and the protection of biodiversity.
Establish regional plans as a key provider of knowledge about natural values.
Give regional planning authorities a clear role in the management of nature.
Establish mechanisms for judicial review of administrative decisions to strengthen the protection of biodiversity, which make judicial review available and easily accessible to the public.
Request the relevant national authority to routinely, in fixed intervals, report and review national goal achievements related to the fulfilment of international commitments on climate and biodiversity.
Ensure that biodiversity is mainstreamed within and across all levels of government and all sectors, in particular the sectors with significant impacts on biodiversity such as the financial sector, energy, military, agriculture, fossil fuels, fishery, land management and forestry.
Align all fiscal and financial flows to the GBF framework, which will, inter alia, require a multilevel review of existing policies and legislation to ensure conformity with target 14.
Develop national policies ensuring that state funds (including pension funds) stop investing in fossil fuel companies and other companies that destroy the environment, harm biodiversity or violate human rights including Indigenous Peoples’ rights.